Dutch RISC OS dealer Desk have stepped up this month to offer some Omega related news and comment in spite of the silence from MicroDigital. The original September newsletter can be found here whereas an English version can be found here.

The Omega user guide is not yet available as MicroDigital wish to first finish ethernet support. Desk predict that networking will be finished before the end of the month. Networking is very much a critical ability for computers these days, especially now that many users are enjoying broadband internet or have more than one computer at their disposal. It cannot be understated how useful a home or office network can be, with non-RISC OS and RISC OS machines sharing files and resources.

It's also reported that XScale support and USB are next on the todo list although no time frame is given for those little details. Desk are also preparing to build Omegas themselves, rather than having complete units shipped from the UK. Finally, Desk have a few words about VirtualRiscPC and how they fear emulation will cost the market users. They also report that Alpha sales are still rising despite the general release of VirtualRPC.

Omegas in the wildWe've learnt that an Omega belonging to Rick Denkers was demonstrated by a loyal RISC OS user group at a large computer show in the Netherlands on Saturday. The user group will also be evangelizing our favourite OS at the HCC show in November, which usually sees more than 120,000 visitors through the doors.

Update 13:44 25/9/2003
Desk have changed the wording of their newsletter and advised us to post a correction. Originally, Desk implied that Simtec were involved in the development of the Omega's USB system. Desk now stress that their initial suggestion was "premature" and have removed all references to Simtec.

Strange that Desk relate the missing USB stack and drivers to Simtec. Gavin Simpson assured me that Simtec is not related in any way to the planned MicroDigital USB solution, and Thomas Milius also told me that he is not involved in any way with it.

So it looks like MD want to develop the fourth RISC OS USB stack, but have told nobody about it.

<ahem> Fourth USB stack? What was the third? There was Castle and Simtec - who else?
Also, seeing as this news bulletin is mainly about ethernet - I was wondering if anyone has tested the Gigabit networking on Iyonix. How well does it perform and does it have full support yet?
--
Smiler -
Alex Melhuish

Alpha-beating laptop for 600ukp in Safeway? Excellent - I shall buy one on the way home. Does it come with USB and ethernet, or do you have to go to Tesco for that?
--
Andrew Harmsworth, Cambridge.
www.gcse.com owner and author

The third USB stack is Thomas Milius' effort - the Simtec stack and Thomas' stack were at one point of time exactly the same, but they have now diverged considerably, so I took the liberty to count both.

Someone should tell Vincent Sanders - on [link]
under 9/7/2002 "Microdigital announce API selection" Looking at the website, which you can see on [link] it sounds like they said Simtec and TM were in on the discussion, so goodness knows what's going on now.

I'm sure that we'll see statements and/or retractions over the next few days as clarification. Although I know the facts, it would not be prudent of me to state them given the alleged letigious nature of at least one party.

However, in the meantime it's important to clarify the difference between an API (which in the case of the Simtec USB stack is fully and freely available from www.riscos-usb.com and can be implemented by anybody for any hardware), and the act of commissioning an entity to produce a product (which usually involves some form of consideration, or at least an agreement and promise of such).

In respect of Stuarts little "story" maybe the disctionary definition of allegory would help people to realise its actualy trying to tell you something important?!

1:the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths

Perhaps his other half migh allude to one of the other companies mentioned in the thread? and maybe his friend represent say oooh drobe?
Obviously STDevel is a bit subtle for the modern point n click culture

I'm glad the saga continues ... considering that on their website in the newsroom you can read "Briefly we are on target regarding production dates, even though they are not in the public domain (yet). The marketing effort is gaining momentum and we shall be making annoucements regarding this subject in the next few days." ... dated 1st August 2002 (just a bit over a year ago) - when was that target?

But on Newsdesk on MDs website there is a nice case: rack mounted Omega. Lucky me not waiting for Omega, otherwise I would really start wondering what's going on. No Ehternet, no USB, ... but time to do other things...

Just received an update to the Newsshot24 from Desk where references to Simtec (in relation to them working on the USB stack for the Omega) have been removed from one paragraph at the request of Simtec.

Well, the Omega does not only consist of the mainboard (wich AFAIK was developed by David Prosser). Why should someone with the abilities of David Prosser have to do relativly simple (but still time consuming) tasks like sourcing additional components like cases, cables, keyboards, mice, and bundled software? Also some of the software developments/adjustments could be done by less skilled people. And then there are other things like the support website and manuals wich also can be written by others...

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